Let Sleeping Dragons Lie
by Lucinda
Summary: When a dragon is stolen from the Romanian Preserve, Charlie Weasley must go retrieve her from a place called Sunnydale California.
1. parts 1 to 4

author: Lucinda  
  
rating: pg 13  
  
pairing: will eventually be Willow/Charlie Weasley and Suzie/Spike  
  
disclaimer: I don't own anyone that you recognize from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter. There will be some original characters.  
  
distribution: Bite Me, Twisting the Hellmouth, WLS, NHA, anyone else just ask.  
  
set early season 4 BtVS, roughly book 4 (Goblet of Fire)  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Weasley! We have a problem." The voice of Devrah Khamsin rang loudly through the twilight air, startling birds into flight and tiny animals scurrying. She was a large woman, standing a bit over six feet tall, with muscles like a rugby player and voice that would have been well suited to a military drill ground. It served her well for making herself heard in the wilderness, or anywhere else that she strode.  
  
It had a similar effect on the various people employed at the Romanian Dragon Preserve. They scattered, trying to vanish or look very busy, all feeling very glad that they weren't Weasley. All except for the man summoned, a lean red haired man dressed in scuffed dragon hide pants, boots and jacket, the left half of his hair almost three inches shorter than the right, the bottom singed and twisted from some source of flame. His eyes twinkled as he walked over to what passed as an office for the woman who ran the preserve like a tyrant.  
  
Charlie Weasley looked at her, feeling almost small in comparison. "What's wrong, and I most likely had nothing to do with it."  
  
"Cute. One of the Ridgebacks is missing. Old Maleficent's not in her cave, and nobody can find claw or scale of her. More disturbing, there's a strong magic trace at the stream she drinks at." Devrah's dark eyes were grim.  
  
Charlie gaped, feeling the sudden urge to sit down, refraining because there wasn't a chair. "Someone stole Maleficent? Why would someone steal a full grown Romanian Ridgeback dragon? Where would they put her?"  
  
Devrah shook her head, the short locks of her hair, never more than chin length, flopping a bit with the movement. "We don't know who or why, but the magic feels... It felt like there was a transportation spell in there. Not only that, but the residue gives anyone who goes into the area the collywobbles, so I'm guessing whoever did this belongs to the Dark. Maybe even to He Who Should Not Be Named. I want you to go find that dragon and bring her back. Preferably before the breeding season."  
  
"Why me?" He'd meant the question rhetorically, not expecting an answer.  
  
"Because you're resourceful, in good shape with no injuries right now, and with all those younger brothers of yours, you're devious. Resourceful, devious, and you're lucky. I don't know who took her or where she is now, but I have confidence that you can get her back. Bend the rules if you have to, step on official toes, I don't care. Just bring Maleficent back. Here's your travel visa." Devrah's voice carried a tone of command, and the implication that he should get going immediately, if not sooner.  
  
When she got into one of her moods, he'd rather try to argue with a thunderstorm. "Yes ma'am. I'll just pick up a few things and try to get a heading from that residue."  
  
Charlie stopped long enough to grab a few more things, including a chest of possible supplies, shrunk small enough to fit into his jacket pocket, and a few papers, claiming quite truthfully that he was on official business for the Romanian Dragon Preserve. Just to be safe, he also grabbed another jar of burn ointment. Maleficent might have vanished, but there were other dragons around the area. It was good to be prepared, especially considering the range that they could send their fire.  
  
The more he thought about things, the more certain he was that whoever was responsible was up to something very bad. Very few groups or organizations would even have the power to accomplish something of this scale. And anyhow, there wasn't a lot that you could do with a dragon. Granted, the various parts were used as ingredients in all sorts of potions, and most of a dragon could be used, but... the idea of someone attempting to poach Maleficent was absurd. The reason why she'd been named after the foul tempered evil fairy in a fairy tale was the simple fact that for a dragon, she was foul tempered, cunning, and she seemed to take enjoyment out of trying to scorch people.  
  
Carefully, he went to the section of stream where Maleficent drank, the undergrowth scorched away, the ground clawed and turned, the tree trunks scored by claws. There was no doubting that a dragon frequented this place. There was also no mistaking the residual magic traces. They gave him a shivering feeling, like something skittering over the back of his neck. Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth and tried to read the layered mess of magic. There was some sort of paralysis spell, probably to keep her still while they took her away. There was also something else, a big silencing spell, probably to keep anyone from noticing what they were up to. He recognized the general type, having mastered a simple, small area silence spell during his time at Hogwarts, having found that it made setting up pranks so much easier. Then there was the transport spell.  
  
He sighed, coming to the conclusion that no matter how heroic the idea of charging off alone to defeat the bad guys and rescue the... ahh, well, the dragon happened to be, he just couldn't. He had only a vague 'that way, and very far' from the traces, and that just wasn't good enough.  
  
Sighing, Charlie wondered if there was any possible way to avoid having to deal with Suzie. She was a whiz at all sorts of divination, but she was just... weird. It was as if she'd seen a few things to many, or maybe a few of her wits just hadn't come back from one of her vision trances, but whatever the cause, she was a rather odd woman. He made his way to the small cottage that she stayed in, knocking on her door.  
  
"Come in, you burning hunk of love." Her voice sounded at the same moment his knuckles connected to the wooden door.  
  
He really wasn't looking forward to this. Suzie was loopy, unpredictable... and she seemed to delight in flirting with him. He was doomed.  
  
end part 1.  
  
Charlie opened the door slowly, slinking into the cottage. Everything was draped in soft, pastel gauze, delicate china and crystal nick knacks lining the mantle and filling shelves. A fragile looking porcelain tea set with a lacy pattern in pale rose sat on the low table, and wisps of fragrant steam rose from its spout. Suzie sat in one chair, almost reminiscent of a queen on her throne. Her gown was a pale green accented with pink ribbons and lace, looking like something that belonged on the cover of one of those dreadful historical romances that girls liked to read so much. Her hair was a dark brown, most of it caught up in elaborate curls, with thin wisps falling around her face.  
  
Suzie was one of those people who craved drama and excitement in her life. She couldn't stand the idea of a calm, normal life, and if there wasn't enough drama, she would stir some up. She also kept trying to shape her life into something that belonged on one of those bad romances. If she wasn't such a spot-on divinator, he had no idea where Suzie would be right now. Maybe acting.  
  
"What brings you here, handsome?" Her voice even fit the part, a somewhat high, breathy voice. A gesture with one slender, elegantly manicured hand indicated that he should seat himself on the couch across from her.  
  
Trying not to sigh, Charlie settled himself gingerly on the pale green draped couch, sinking into soft, slightly mushy feeling cushions. "There's a problem, Suzie. Somebody stole one of the dragons, and they used a long distance teleportation spell. All I can tell is that they went sort of west, but... that isn't very helpful. I need... I need you to help me find them so I can get Maleficent back."  
  
Suzie nodded, looking thoughtful. "Why Maleficent? Why not one with a sweeter... well, not so vile temper?"  
  
"I wish I knew, but I don't think it can be anything good." Charlie tried to figure out the fastest way out of this cottage.  
  
She sighed, tapping one finger against her chin. "Drink your tea, and then after I read the leaves for you, we can go to the place where the spell residue is."  
  
Rolling his eyes slightly, Charlie drank the tea, some sort of sweet blend that tasted of apples, cinnamon and ginger. She took the cup from his hands, looking intently at the dregs on the bottom.  
  
"Lets see now, a long journey... hmm, danger, threats to your life... oh, romance! You're going to meet a lovely young lady who'll make quite the impression on you." She looked up at him, batting her long eyelashes suggestively.  
  
Charlie winced. "Just what I always wanted to hear... Let's go check out the residue."  
  
Somehow, the trek back to the stream felt four times longer than the trip from the stream to Suzie's cottage. When they arrived, Suzie frowned, staring at the area, her eyes looking rather unfocussed as she swayed back and forth, humming slightly as she read the remains of the spells. One hand was outstretched, hovering over the ground as if seeking out the currents of power, seeking to read their secrets.  
  
"Far away, over land and sea... where have they taken you? Far away, to a place of darkness and shadow and death... to burn and destroy... Silly people, you can't bind a dragon's will for very long..." Her eyes had this unfocused look that gave Charlie goosebumps, and her voice had taken on a lilting, almost song-like tone.  
  
She shook her head, another wisp of dark hair falling out of the elaborate style. "First, they tried a spell to bind the dragon to obey them. That won't last very long, dragons are very strong willed creatures. Then, they took her away, far away... umm, sorry. They took her across the ocean, somewhere over in America. If I had a map, I could show you... the emanations of the other end of the spell are unmistakably dark. It's not going to be fun, but I did say that I needed an adventure."  
  
Charlie sighed yet again, hating the fact that he did that so often when Suzie was around. "I have an atlas. If you can give us a continent to start with, we can start there and narrow it down."  
  
"North America." Her voice didn't contain a single ounce of hesitation.  
  
He held open the pages, watching as Suzie let her eyes unfocus, and her hand came to rest on a coastal section of the California. "I need a map of here. This one's to big to get a good location."  
  
Flipping to a page that was mostly just the state of California, he watched as she went through it again, this time able to pinpoint a town. Whoever had stolen Maleficent had taken or sent her to somewhere called Sunnydale, in California.  
  
He just had to wonder what was important enough about one small town almost halfway around the world that anyone would go to that much trouble.  
  
"It's a good thing that I had my swimsuit packed. I'm going with you." Suzie's voice interrupted Charlie's thougts.  
  
"What?" He felt something not quite the same as fear, more like a sinking dismay flow through him. She wanted to go with him? He'd be forced to endure her company for... he was doomed.  
  
"Now to make our arrangements and go to Sunnydale. We have a dragon to find." Charlie's voice wasn't exactly cheerful. Then again, he didn't see anything to be particularly cheerful about.  
  
end part 2.  
  
Willow had gone on a patrol with Buffy, listening as her friend talked about how cute the Teacher's Assistant for their Psychology class was. Yes, Riley Finn was a big, muscular hunk of man, but he really wasn't Willow's type at all. She preferred well, more grace than raw brute force. But Riley did seem like a good guy for Buffy, at least as far as they could tell.  
  
s  
  
It didn't hurt so much to hear someone being interested in guys anymore. She'd been healing from the horrible emotional wounds that Oz's betrayal and abandonment had caused. Partly by her lowly growing friendship with Tara, a shy girl that she'd met at the laughable Campus Wiccan group, and Tara had a crush on Graham Miller, who seemed to be a good friend of Buffy's crush, Riley Finn. Oddly enough, she was also helped in her recovery by Spike. His blood curdling stories about his 'glory days' before the 'evil chip' seemed to give no slack for her pain, but... they'd come to a sort of informal agreement. If he listened to her talk about Oz, either the 'good times' or the pain he'd caused by running away, then she'd listen to him talk about Dru. And she wouldn't call Dru a 'skanky ho' or a 'loony psycho killer' like Buffy and Xander did, even if she did think there was a bit of truth in both descriptions.  
  
She still figured that Buffy had mainly asked her to patrol with for two reasons, first, to listen to how 'drool-worthy' Riley was, and secondly because she gave the sort of descriptions of mysterious demons that Giles liked. Buffy's 'tall, gruesome, and did I mention he smelled like old gym shoes?' tended not to be very helpful to Giles. She was nodding as Buffy went on about Riley's arms when she felt a wave of something hit, and it hurt, like something had grabbed her insides and yanked.  
  
Willow dropped to the ground in the middle of the cemetery, her face gone pale, trying not to throw up as every muscle in her body quivered. There was a roaring in her ears, and Willow wasn't certain if it was some sort of 'sound' from the magical disruption or if it was the sound of her blood rushing in her veins. "oh god... goddess... anyone... what was that?"  
  
  
  
"Wills? You... are you... no, you aren't okay. What happened?" Buffy was there, kneeling beside her, her voice filled with concern.  
  
  
  
"No on the okay... somebody cast some really big magic. I felt it... it's big, it's strong, and it's evil." Her voice was low and shaky.  
  
"So this wasn't something just to make you fall over?" Buffy sounded partway between relieved and worried.  
  
Willow managed a weak smile. "Exactly. Think of the magic like... like a pool. I'm standing in the water, and someone just did something really big, and it caused a wave. That wave hit me and knocked me down. Probably hit anyone else sensitive to magic in the area... have you been getting any... you know, weird feelings?" Willow tried to explain what had happened. She was also trying to figure out who or what had caused the disturbance. She knew that it hadn't been just raw power, it had been deliberate, carefully directed magic, but on a scale far beyond anything that she'd ever done. What had it been for?   
  
"Yeah... there's this really wiggy feeling, like there's a big scary thing around somewhere, you know? But it's not a vamp, and it doesn't quite feel like a demon. Just... kind of made me get worried when you fell down."  
  
Buffy had just helped Willow to her feet when they heard a deep roaring noise. It wasn't like a lion or a bear, and it didn't sound like any of the demons they'd fought. At a guess, it was from something really big, and definitely predatory. There was a moment of hesitation, and the two of them started of towards the sound, running towards the danger.  
  
There was a group of minion vampires running, the sort of running that says 'let me get away from something' instead of a 'get the girls' type run. Buffy grabbed one, a guy that didn't look more than fifteen, and lifted him off of his feet.  
  
"What's over there?" She demanded the information from the minion.  
  
He looked at her, and was trembling. "Big... big scary... dragon. Gotta be a dragon... black dragon, but I thought they breathed acid... no acid though... fire!"  
  
Buffy blinked, trying to make sense of the vampire's words. "umm, Wills? Help with the translation?"  
  
"I think that's Tommy Evans. He used to play Dungeons and Dragons. It's a role-play game... one of the powerful monsters in it are acid breathing black dragons. But... apparently the big scary thing is a fire breathing black dragon." Willow looked worried. They would have heard something if there had been a dragon in the area before, so... the magic had been something to do with the arrival of the dragon. She didn't like the implications of that.  
  
"A dragon? A fire breathing dragon?" Buffy dropped the minion as she stared at Willow.  
  
Tommy might be a weak vampire, but he wasn't a stupid one. The Slayer had dropped him, and she wasn't paying any more attention to him. That meant that he could run away, and hopefully not get staked or scorched. He ran.  
  
Buffy and Willow continued moving towards the direction that the vampires had been running from. There had been a warehouse nearby, the sort that just screamed 'vampire lair'. Now, the roof had been collapsed, the walls looked to have been broken outwards, and the building was in flames. The roaring noise came from the large creature beside the wreckage.  
  
Oh yeah, it was a dragon. Firelight gleamed on black scales and large wings. Sharp teeth glittered as it bellowed again, and dark horns curved backwards over pale eyes. It stood almost thirty feet at the shoulder, the head closer to fifty feet above the ground. Flickers of fire emerged between the sharp teeth, and the concrete had been torn up by powerful claws on the feet. A long, powerful tail lashed out, flattening a nearby car.  
  
"Oh my god..." Buffy could only stare at the creature in horror. "How am I ever going to slay that?"  
  
Willow swallowed hard, now certain that the magic had somehow brought this creature here. "umm... maybe we can ask Giles?"  
  
"Right... ask Giles how to get rid of a fire breathing dragon. Sounds like retreat... let's go." Buffy had no argument to the suggestion.  
  
end part 3.  
  
The apartment of Rupert Giles was supposed to be a quiet place. The shelves of books and scrolls and gentle, classical decor suggested a quiet, reserved individual, although the racks of carefully polished weapons might cause second thoughts about the safety of the quiet man with the glasses. Especially if they could see what was happening in the living room. A dark haired young man was sitting on the couch, glaring at a slightly older looking man with bleached blond hair. There were two parts that would raise a few eyebrows. First, the blond man was handcuffed with his hands behind his back, and secondly, the television was currently playing the end of Disney's Sleeping Beauty.  
  
The door was flung open by Buffy, who lunged through the door as if pursued by a horrible fate, her face flushed from exertion, her eyes wide.  
  
"Giles! Big trouble."  
  
A few moments behind her was Willow, looking equally disturbed, but almost grey under the flush of exertion. She carefully shut the door behind them with shaking hands.  
  
"Hey! I smell fear. What's got Red and the slayer all afraid, anyhow?" Spike's voice carried from the other room, possible an effort to have someone save him from the horror of being forced to watch Disney.  
  
Willow made her careful way into the living room, part of her wondering exactly why Xander was voluntarily in Spike's company, and then she saw what they were watching. It was right as the animated huge dragon tried to scorch the Prince with a gout of fire, and Willow went almost white. "Turn it off!"  
  
Xander turned off the television, giving Willow a very odd look. "Umm... Wills? What's so bad about the movie? I thought Sleeping Beauty was one of you favorites?"  
  
Willow was shaking all over again. "Because... we just... there's a big scary bad thing in Sunnydale."  
  
"Spike's harmless now, remember that chip?" Xander wasn't sure where Willow was going with this, and it showed in his voice.  
  
She shook her head. "No. This is much much bigger than Spike. And scarier."  
  
"Should I be insulted?" Emerged from Spike's lips at the same moment as Xander's "What's got you more freaked than the factory thing?"  
  
She gestured with one trembling hand at the now black screen. "That. A huge, black, fire breathing dragon. With wings, and really sharp big teeth. Remarkably like the one in Sleeping Beauty."  
  
Spike looked at her, and a very worried expression gradually spread over his face. "You're serious. You really think... did you see it? You're absolutely positive?"  
  
"Yeah. We saw it... big, scary, sharp teeth... But um... it gets a bit worse. Spike, you're a vampire, and vampires are supposed to have more or better or something senses. Anything weird tonight?" Willow was trying to gather her thoughts. They had a dragon in Sunnydale. They had a dragon in Sunnydale. It made it hard to think calmly about anything.  
  
"Magic. Someone did a really big spell earlier... group effort. I think it was some kind of aparration... teleporting I guess you'd say." He looked a bit worried.  
  
Giles apparently was listening as well, and voiced an opinion. "There was something else... whoever was casting it, and I do agree that it was a group effort, they used very dark flavored magic. Meaning that they are dark wizards."  
  
  
  
"Like Ethan?" Buffy's voice was still worried.  
  
Giles shook his head. "No, much worse than Ethan. Ethan uses his magic for an assortment of quasi and illegal ends, and is certainly not above creating havoc and confusion, but he doesn't directly hurt people with it. Whoever did this spell uses magic to kill and maim and quite likely torture."  
  
Xander sat down, looking very upset. "Magic to torture people? Aren't there enough ways to hurt people?"  
  
Spike looked worried. "So, a group of someone's used a spell to bring a dragon to Sunnydale, and it's burning down buildings?"  
  
Walking over towards Spike, Buffy frowned. "How did you know it was a transportation spell?"  
  
Spike glanced down for a moment, and his words emerged in a low mumble that would have sounded at home from Willow. "I used to be a wizard."  
  
Xander was the one who voiced the obvious question. "How do you stop being a wizard?"  
  
Spike shrugged, as if trying not to think about the question. "I got turned. I wasn't a very strong wizard, so it didn't carry over. But I remember... and that was a transportation."  
  
Willow was trying to figure out how to try asking where he was learning when she felt something again. This wasn't nearly as harsh, more like a ripple than a tidal wave, but it felt sort of similar. "Did anyone else feel... But it wasn't..."  
  
"Another transportation... different person casting." Giles voice was a bit unsettled. "Are we being invaded by evil wizards? And I regret to inform you that dragon's have no special vulnerabilities or weaknesses, they are difficult to bend the wills of, and they are very large and dangerous."  
  
Xander sat heavily on the couch. "We're doomed. Unless... are we certain that the second disturbance in the force was also the work of bad guys? There are good wizards, right? Are there wizard cops to make them behave?"  
  
Giles gave a small smile. "It wasn't the same, there wasn't any... well, I suppose a dark taint would be the best way to describe it. There are what you would call wizard cops... every fully trained Watcher is taught a little bit about the world and communities of true wizards. I only know a little, but... there is a possibility that the second transportation was someone here to attempt to contain the dragon, or the dark wizards that brought it."  
  
"I need someone to go back out and try to figure out what caused the second disturbance. Willow? Do you feel up to it?" Giles was obviously trying to form a plan.  
  
She leaned against the wall, trying to figure out the honest answer. "I think so... but I want someone with me. Maybe Spike can go, to catch me in case another one of those waves makes me fall down again. And if he knows anything about these real wizards, that's got to be helpful."  
  
Spike followed her out the door, still grumbling about the 'bloody watcher not remembering the bloody cuffs'.  
  
Willow looked over at him, and gave a small, hesitant smile. "Turn around, I can get those."  
  
With a raised eyebrow, Spike turned, offering his cuffed wrists to her, along with a murmured question. "Exactly where did you learn about handcuffs, red?"  
  
She could feel herself blushing. "Oz... well, sometimes when he was all wolfy, he'd knock the keys down, and they'd go under a shelf or something. I'd need to do something to let him out..." She focused, and put her mind through the particular twisting of the unlocking, and there was a small double click as the handcuffs came unfastened, falling to the ground with a clatter, and Spike gave a small yelp of surprise as his pants attempted to follow, along with his boots being suddenly unlaced.  
  
"Bloody hell, luv, if you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask."  
  
Yeah, she was definitely blushing. "I wasn't... I didn't know it would... grr... Let's just try to find this disturbance."  
  
end part 4. 


	2. parts 5 and 6

They walked, headed vaguely west, their movements slow as they both listened carefully for any sign of... well, anything unusual. Willow's suspicion was that Spike was hoping for some demon to try to attack. He'd become well aware that the chip wouldn't let him hurt humans, which to his dismay included Buffy and Xander, but he'd been delighted to discover that he could hurt demons. So, Spike was most eager to patrol, to fight and kill the only things still possible for him, demons and vampires. Willow sighed, wanting to believe that he would reform, that he would become their friend instead of here with them to get blood and to avoid the people who had done this to him. Realistically, she didn't think it would work.  
  
Spike was delighted when a pair of minions tried to attack Willow, and showed that delight by beating them into a collapse before actually staking them. There was a fierce and predatory smile on his face the whole time. Willow was certain that this was his way of reminding himself that he was still 'the big bad'. It also made her pray that the chip would last for a very, very long time.  
  
"Spike? How sure are you that you can't do magic anymore?" Willow had to ask the question that had been nagging at her.  
  
He gave a small huff of breath, and looked at her with his feral vampire eyes. "Persistent thing, aren't you, Red?"  
  
She looked at him, meeting his eyes unhesitatingly. "Spike, there is a dragon in the area. It's huge and dangerous and breaths fire. I don't think Buffy can just waltz up and kill it. I'd prefer to stay out of reach of that fire, which sounds like magic. And I don't think I can count on being powerful enough to take that thing down. So, I'm looking for every sliver of help I can get. How certain are you that you can't do magic anymore?"  
  
"Put it like that, and it takes away the fun of teasing you." He looked a bit dismayed as he considered her words. "I tried a few small spells after. They didn't go off, or they went wrong. Sort of like trying to use the wrong wand'll do for someone."  
  
The way he'd asswered that sounded a bit funny. "Wand? Wizards use wands? And what happens if you use the wrong one? How do you know it's wrong?"  
  
"Of course real wizards use wands! Helps focus and control the magic, makes it do what you want it to instead of just whatever. Maybe you should look into getting one. But trying the wrong one causes problems... fire, gusts of wind, baby lightning bolts... gives a feeling of go back now." Spike looked almost amused.  
  
Willow nibbled at her lip as she considered Spike's words. "But... wouldn't having no magic at all make the wand have the same result as just waving a random stick? Doesn't magic going flooey still count as magic? Where do you find wands anyhow?"  
  
Spike shrugged, the particular sort of shrug that Willow had learned meant he didn't want to pursue a topic any farther. "Wands come from wand makers, in the wizard shopping districts. You don't have any around here, and vampires normally can't get in. So, weren't we looking for arrival number two?"  
  
Their meandering took them to the edge of town, near one of Sunnydale's actual parks, instead of simply another well maintained graveyard. There were voices... one man's voice and one woman's, both somewhat accented.  
  
"Where are we? I thought that you said we would end up near where maleficent arrived?"  
  
"Close is relative! This should be the same town... and considering how far that spell took us, that is close! Did you really want to land right beside her?" The woman sounded defensive and there was something almost familiar about her voice.  
  
"Well, when you put it that way, no! But we have to find her! It's important."  
  
Willow peeked towards the voices, trying to figure out who or what was talking, and to be able to guess if they were friendly. She could see them, a man in some sort of leather with bright red hair, and a woman in a long flowing dress. She shifted her position slightly, attempting to get a better look and froze, her jaw dropping in astonishment.  
  
"Spike? Does Dru have any living relatives? Like that woman over there in the long green dress?" Her voice was filled with surprise, worry and curiosity.  
  
Spike looked at the pair, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the woman. "The resemblance is uncanny. I think Dru had a little sister... she might be related. The guy though...I'm betting he's a Weasley. Old wizard family... not to rich, lots of them, but fairly good people. At least, they were a couple centuries back. What are they doing together? Are they involved? and why are they here?"  
  
He looked back at Willow. "We may have just found you a few slivers of help. Let's go say hello, shall we?"  
  
Willow tried to scrape together her courage, and they stepped out of the shrubbery to walk closer to the pair. "Are you looking for something in particular?"  
  
Both of the strangers spun to face them, producing short, slender lengths of wood from somewhere, holding them defensively as they tried to evaluate Willow and Spike. The bits of wood looked much too slender to be stakes, so WIllow assumed that they must be wands, which would make the people wizards.  
  
"Bloody hell... could you point those things somewhere else?" Spike's grumble seemed to lessen the tension just a little, but the wizards didn't exactly relax. Probably wise, considering that they were in Sunnydale.  
  
end part 5.  
  
Charlie was trying to figure out exactly where Suzie's apparation spell had brought them. It looked like a nice enough park, but there was no sign of a dragon, or that a dragon had been anywhere near here. Something was wrong with the air as well, not so much the air really, but the magic. It felt... darker here.  
  
Suzie was being a bit defensive, and he did have to agree that crossing an ocean did make the same town 'close' and no, he didn't want to land right beside Maleficent. But he had no idea where to start looking for her. How many places could a dragon hide, anyhow?  
  
"Are you looking for something in particular?" An unfamiliar woman's voice with an American accent spoke, letting him know that they weren't as alone as he'd thought.  
  
He turned to look, and reached immediately for his wand. The woman had vibrant red hair that wouldn't have looked out of place among his family, but she didn't look anything like a Weasley. She had pale skin and deep green eyes, and she had the most delicately appealing set of curves... She wasn't dressed like a witch, but she had a feeling of magic about her. The problem was the man beside her, who was currently staring in amazement at Suzie, who was blushing at him, watching through her eyelashes. The man was too pale, paler than any living person should be. And there was a chance that he wasn't a living person, but a vampire, one of the most dangerous and tricky topics form Defense Against Dark Arts, and something he'd hoped he'd never run into.  
  
The pale man glared at the wands, and a grumble of "Bloody Hell... could you point those things somewhere else?" made Charlie relax just a little. If he were a dangerous vampire, wouldn't he be attacking now?  
  
"Actually, we're sort of looking for something. A somewhat large, endangered creature that was taken from a habitat preserve... We need to get her back where she belongs." He wasn't certain if he wanted to trust these people or not.  
  
The blond man looked at the redhead, and Charlie found himself wondering if they were involved, or if he might have a chance to ask the lovely girl out. And then he told himself that he was being ridiculous, he didn't have time for dates with tantalizing red haired witches. "You didn't by chance come looking for a dragon, did you? Sounds like a Ridgeback or maybe a horntail... Not the sort of thing we need around here."  
  
Suzie moved closer to the man, reaching out to trail her fingers down his chest just a little. "We did come here after the dragon... but maybe there will be other good things that come from visiting his place? I'm Suzie, and that's Charlie..."  
  
Charlie wasn't certain if he was more worried about Suzie driving this guy crazy or delighted that she'd finally stopped flirting with him. He gave a small shrug, and looked back at the lovely redhead. "I'm Charlie Weasley, that's Suzie Sutcliffe. Who are you two? And if you can help us find Maleficent... ah, the dragon, it would be very much appreciated."  
  
Green eyes widened and twinkled with a hint of amusement. "The dragon's really named Maleficent? Wow... umm, I'm Willow Rosenberg, and this is Spi..."  
  
Her voice was cut off by the blond man putting his hand over her mouth, and completing his introduction, looking right at Suzie as she spoke. "William, William Longbottom. And I'm delighted to meet such a lovely lady."  
  
Charlie heard the man's name, and winced, immediately thinking of his younger brother's letters from school. There was a Longbottom in Ron's class, a boy named Neville that always had problems getting things to work right. He hoped that this guy wasn't much like Neville.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Willow's voice was a delight to the ear.  
  
He shook his head slightly, trying to remind himself to stay focused on finding Maleficent. "I hope you aren't the jealous sort... your William seems rather taken by Suzie."  
  
She giggled, a sound that reminded him of a small waterfall. "My... oh, he isn't my William. We're just... sort of friends, not dating. I don't think I'm his type. Do you have a plan for what to do when we get to where the dragon is? I mean, Giles said that dragons were sort of hard to use magic on..."  
  
Charlie felt something bubble up inside of him at her words, and tried to convince himself that it was just the idea of having help finding Maleficent. "We did arrive in the right area, didn't we? And I was thinking maybe we can stun her long enough... long enough to try to get her back to the preserve."  
  
"Big black dragon, breaths fire, eyes fifty feet in the air along with lots of very sharp teeth... I think you're in the right city. Let's go then before she eats someone." Willow had a slightly worried expression, as if she had suddenly worried that there might be two dragons running about.  
  
"That's Maleficent. And we'd best hurry, she probably would try to eat people. But how do you plan to find her?" She had the most beautiful eyes...  
  
Willow gave a small smile. "It shouldn't be that hard. Just a little seeking spell... lead us to the big scary dragon. No problem. The problem will be what to do when we get to the big scary Maleficent dragon... any connection to the Disney film?"  
  
Charlie shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I do know that Disney was one of the better known American wizards. And the dragon's been there and named Maleficent since long before I went to the Preserve."  
  
"Walt Disney was a wizard? Cool..." Willow looked impressed. She then closed her eyes and whispered a few word over her cupped hands, where a small pale green light formed. The light then lifted itself up, and began to go off to the north. "Follow the dot, and we'll end up at the dragon. eep."  
  
Charlie felt like he was staring. She hadn't used a wand! All wizards used wands, or potions... except that she hadn't. How was that even possible? And he really needed to follow the dot to find the dragon.  
  
Shaking his head, he fell in beside her, following the light. William and Suzie were a bit ahead, their voices just soft enough that he couldn't decipher the murmured words of their conversation. William seemed to like Suzie, maybe things would go well with the pair of them... as long as William could deal with a girlfriend that was a bit off center.  
  
"I'm just going to hope we end up with a plan that works. You might not get a second chance working with dragons..." Charlie couldn't quite keep the note of pessimism from creeping into his voice.  
  
"Don't worry about it that much, Weasley. Red's the brains of things around here, and she's good at it. She'll come up with something, and the bloody stupid town will be saved, just like always." William's voice was filled with confidence.  
  
Charlie just wished he could share it.  
  
end part 6. 


	3. parts 7 and 8

Willow found herself smiling as she watched Spike talking with Suzie. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but... she could certainly see the way they were saying it. She was walking close to him, one hand slid up and around his back while the other gestured into the air as she spoke. She also kept glancing at him while they walked, the sort of glances that mean a girl thinks a guy is cute. As for Spike, he kept looking at her with this sort of amazed look, as if she was the most wonderful girl in the whole world.  
  
"They look sort of cute." She looked over at Charlie as she made her comment, curious how he would feel about a possible relationship between Spike and Suzie.  
  
Charlie looked over, his eyes a dark green in the night. "You think? She's awfully demanding. He might not like having someone that demanding around."  
  
Willow grinned as she thought of Spike's stories of everything he'd done for Drusilla. "I think he can handle a few demands. He might even enjoy them. I just hope... well, he's my friend, and I hope she doesn't break his heart, you know?"  
  
Frowning, she tried to consider the possible reactions to the pair of wizards learning about Spike being a vampire. What if they tried to hurt him? Would she be able to protect him from them? Would that keep them... best just hope that didn't come out until after they tried to deal with the dragon.  
  
She felt something, almost like faint aftershocks in the ground. But there hadn't been an earthquake. "I think we're getting close... the ground's having mini-shakes. As an alternate possibility, there might be an earthquake pretty soon."  
  
Charlie grinned at her. "Which idea are you more worried about?"  
  
"Depends... is it a normal earthquake, a hellmouthy portent of doom earthquake, or the dragon?"  
  
"You actually get enough portents of doom to say that with a straight face?" Charlie sounded somewhere between incredulous and worried.  
  
She gave a slight shrug. "This is the hellmouth. We get at least one or two attempted apocalypses a year. Is that even the proper plural for apocalypse? I suppose it doesn't matter... But yes, lots of evil portent earthquakes. Last time the hellmouth almost got opened. Does anyone smell smoke?"  
  
Spike's voice came back, filled with worry. "Yeah, definitely smoke, and something else, sort of musky. I think we're almost to the dragon."  
  
"Is a dragon better or worse than an earthquake, Willow tree?" Suzie's voice even sounded a bit like Dru. It was rather unsettling.  
  
Attempting to keep from panicking, Willow made a little nervous squeaky giggle. "A dragon is definitely worse than a normal earthquake, but not as bad as a portent of big destruction earthquake. Those are often accompanied by raining frogs, which is really, really gross."  
  
She could hear the fires now, and see them, towering, twisting masses of orange and gold. They roared and crackled, and she could almost follow the plumes of dark smoke that rose from them. There were a few burning cars, one of them seeming to be an overturned police car. The warehouses were in ruins, rubble spilling over the ground and dust making the air even harder to breathe. An assortment of dangerous looking demons were attempting to fight the dragon. Large scaled demons with horns and claws and fangs, the sort of thing that any other day would be terrifying.  
  
They weren't doing very well. In fact, it looked like there were dead demons, ripped in half or scorched, or simply broken among the rubble. Willow felt her stomach clench as she wondered what had happened to the police officer that had driven the burning car. "The dragon... now what?"  
  
"Now we tremble and try not to run away." Suzie's words were almost too quiet to hear, but Willow thought they summed things up rather effectively.  
  
end part 7.  
  
"Much as I can see the reasoning behind those two things, ducks, I don't think that will happen. I'm not very good at wisdom. And Willow doesn't back down from a challenge." Spike's voice was much more subdued than normal.  
  
Glancing towards Willow, he gave a small almost smile. "You were right. She's a lot more frightening than I am."  
  
Willow nodded. "I'm sort of thinking there's a certain logic in running away, but that would leave the dragon on her rampage. So... ummm... how do you deal with an angry dragon?"  
  
Suzie looked over, her eyes taking on an unfocused, thoughtful glaze. "Stunning spells. Spells to slow her down or confuse her. As powerful as you can."  
  
They began their efforts, and soon their determined and nervous shouts in Latin and Greek filled the air. Power hummed as they cast their spells like ropes towards the dragon.  
  
Unfortunately, they weren't having a strong enough impact on Maleficent. Oh, they were doing something, the dragon was moving more slowly, and the roars sounded a bit less focused, but... Maleficent the dragon at half effectiveness would still be more than enough to flatten them if she got close enough. Suzie and Charlie had managed to stick the jaws closed with a locking spell, therefore preventing any gouts of fire until the spell wore off. Didn't do much about the large feet with talons longer than their arms.  
  
With muffled growls and blazing eyes, the dragon charged at them, talons leaving furrows in the ground and cracks and chunks instead of the almost smooth road. Maleficent looked furious, and they had all learned that sometimes, raw fury could make up for quite a lot.  
  
Even half smothered by closed jaws, the roar was enough to send chills down their spines. Spike grabbed Suzie, pulling her out of the exact place that the black scaled toes landed, for a moment holding the woman close to his body. Willow could tell that Suzie was shaking.  
  
Charlie pulled on Willow's arm, breaking her focus on Spike and Suzie as the dragon looked at them, eyes glaring with an unwelcome amount of intelligence. The dragon knew they were causing some of her problems, and it made her mad. She lunged forward, attempting to use her massive scaled nose as a battering ram, and Willow and Charlie flung their selves to the sides, trying to get out of the way.  
  
"Hey you big menace! You're ruining my reputation as the big bad!" Spike's angry shout was accompanied by a chunk of rock hurled right at the dragon's head. It landed just beside her eye, and drew a line of garnet colored blood.  
  
With an angry hiss, the dragon moved towards Spike, everything about the sudden movement snarling danger. With a swift lunge, she tried again to crush one of the annoying small creatures. Unfortunately, it looked like the slowing spells were wearing off.  
  
Suzie was flung to the side, and landed sprawled on the ground, soft whimpers of fear and maybe pain carrying in the ominously quiet smoke laden air. Spike wasn't moving, and the dragon had an oddly triumphant gleam in her eye.  
  
Willow felt like something inside of her had cracked at the sight of Spike. He was far to still, and while he wasn't dust, no sane person would choose to lay flat on the ground in front of an angry dragon if they could try to move. That could only mean that he was hurt, probably very badly. An oddly humming cold feeling began to spread through her body from that cracked place, and as it did, the darkness didn't seem quite so dark anymore. She could almost see the swirls and fading traces of their spells, like afterimages on the inside of her eyelids. Her voice sounded odd when she spoke, almost as if it was echoing through a room before reaching their ears.  
  
"Like something out of a fairy tale...well, Maleficent, there are ways to deal with fairy tales. By the power within me, I place this curse... you shall prick yourself and fall... not dead, but asleep. Asleep until Love's First Kiss shall awaken thee..."  
  
She felt power surge, as if she'd become a channel for something older, darker and not quite human. It felt like a rushing waterfall, powerful and unstoppable... She could feel everything in her body pulsing, thrumming with this fierce and powerful energy. It looked like swirls of deepest blue to her eyes, the power that poured from her hands, wrapping around the dragon in some sort of layer, closing over her body and clinging, like a sort of fog.  
  
With a bellow that echoed and hung in the night air like the smoke, the fire in Maleficent's eyes dimmed, and she swayed once, twice before collapsing into the remnants of a smoldering warehouse. Her lips twitched, showing long sharp teeth. A deep rumble came from her, followed by a loud whine and a gust of almost sulfurous smelling breath.  
  
It seemed Maleficent snored.  
  
Willow had just enough time to smile faintly at the unexpectednesss of it before the world spun. Her muscles were trembling, and her every nerve felt almost raw, as if she'd been scraped bare. "Someone check on Spike."  
  
Her voice sounded as if she'd been screaming for hours. Everything went black, and there was a dull swishy roar in her ears like the ocean, and then... nothing.  
  
Suzie stood looking from the collapsed pale form of Willow, who seemed to have sweat beading her forehead, to William, who had been rather smushed by Maleficent. She then noticed with that there was something caught by the dragon's claw. Edging closer, she looked towards it, and burst into hysterical laughter.  
  
Her wand was splinted and snapped, and had somehow become jammed up under the dragon's claw, having drawn a few droplets of crimson blood. Almost like the spindle in the Sleeping Beauty faery tales had pricked the princess' finger.  
  
end part 8. 


	4. part 9 and 10

Suzie moved over to take a closer look at Willow, her mind still trying to dissolve into laughter or tears over Maleficent being put to sleep by a spell, or terrified by the amount of power that it had taken. Terrified by the fact that Willow had channeled power from somewhere to cause the spell to work. Wasn't there a law or rule that no mortal witch or wizard could control that much power? Not even the Dark Lord? How had she done that? How had she done any of her spells without a wand?  
  
Willow's breathing was shallow but steady. Her skin was pale and beaded with cold sweat, making her feel clammy and causing the smoke and dust in the air to settle onto her. The American Witch was entirely unconventional, but she might be good for Charlie. Her pulse was strong, and there didn't seem to be any serious injuries on her. Just the collapse after channeling a vast amount of magic.  
  
"Charlie? Can you float William along with us? My wand... umm, Maleficent has it. I think I can carry Willow, but... we need to take William with us." She was feeling worried, especially since there was now nothing left to prevent the assorted frightening creatures from hurting her or Charlie.  
  
He looked over at her, his face ash smudged. "I think he might need a hospital. And where do you think we can go anyhow?" Charlie glanced down at William, and shuddered. "Or maybe it's too late for him..."  
  
"NO! We have to take him with us. And I can find Willow's house... we can go there. I just... I don't think we should stay here." She didn't want anything bad to have happened to William. He was handsome and interesting, and definitely a bit naughty, but it was the sort of naughty that she'd like to get to know better.  
  
Charlie gave her a doubtful look, and then followed her nervous gaze to the various things lurking in the smoky shadows. "Time to go, right. I'll just levitate William, and you lead us to her place."  
  
They made it with only a small amount of confusion, ending up in front of a two story house with an overgrown lawn and shaggy hedges. There didn't appear to be anyone home, so Charlie ended up whispering a worried 'Ahlohamora' to get them past the front door. There was still a dark and uncomfortable feeling to the night air, as if there was something lurking just beyond the light, something dark and hungry and dangerous.  
  
She found a box of some plastic bags, and after layering those over the couch, she had Charlie place William there. She started trying to inspect him for his injuries while Charlie carried willow off, presumably to put her down on a bed where she could rest. There was a fireplace, but it was the sort that was small and essentially ornamental. Most definitely not something they'd want to use Floo-travel with, but certainly big enough to try to contact somebody. The interior had no signs of magic about, everything was muggle made. Solid, somewhat blandly solid furniture and blandly neutral decor that left an entirely impersonal feeling to the room. There were no photographs or paintings, no collected knicknacks or souvenirs. It didn't feel like this room was 'home' for anyone.  
  
His ribcage was half collapsed, with various near points and unnatural angles declaring the ribs had been broken, most likely puncturing and slicing his lungs, causing them to fill with blood. His right collar bone and upper arm had been broken, possibly in several places, and his entire torso had an ugly purple black mottling to it, the color of deep, massive internal bruising. The force of the dragon's attack had to have caused some damage to his insides. His skin looked almost like pale ashes it was so pale.  
  
For a moment, she wondered how he could breathe with all of those injuries. Then, she realized that he wasn't breathing. He didn't have a heartbeat either.  
  
William was dead.  
  
She didn't know what to do about that. He was handsome, and interesting, and she had been so certain that she could fall head over heels for him... She found herself sobbing, not terribly loud, but it felt as if she was choking on some horrible loss, the loss of potential. Her vision blurred away, and all she could do was cry, her tears falling onto his pale, still hand. A tiny part of her mind wondered if she should have packed a handkerchief for her trip.  
  
"Tears, pet? Who are you crying over?" The words were barely more than a ragged whisper, but they were undeniable William's.  
  
She looked up, and blinked furiously, trying to clear the tears from her eyes. It wasn't working, so she settled for a delighted but careful hug, amazed that he was speaking. "William?"  
  
Something nagged at her as he wrapped one arm behind her, his face pressed against her shoulder. He hadn't been breathing, hadn't had a pulse. She pulled back, eyes clear enough to see, and looked at him. "William?"  
  
His eyes were golden yellow, his brows a bit heavier. The features of a vampire, even if he did still have bruises over him, including a very prominent one over his cheekbone. "You're... a vampire?" Suzie felt a thread of fear go through her. A vampire with his face pressed against her shoulder...  
  
He gave a slow, very small nod, accompanied by a grimace of pain. "Yeah... bloody dragon... how much got broken?"   
  
"You're... not dead? But a vampire... oh dear." She felt like her head was spinning. There had been so much that had happened so quickly...  
  
"I was a vampire before, when we were chatting in the park. Doesn't make me a raving homicidal maniac. Suzie? Can you check the fridge, see if Willow has any blood in there for me?" His voice was low, and filled with pain.  
  
"Blood? In the refrigerator? Umm... oh... I can go check..." She felt like she was fleeing the room.  
  
She stopped in the middle of the oddly harsh looking kitchen, all gleaming porcelain and steel, harsh edges and sharp planes. There was no feeling of home here either, despite the gleaming copper kettles over the stove. She opened the refrigerator, looking inside with caution. There was a small bag of grapes, a few apples, some cheese and something pale blue in a glass jar on one side, and a few pale containers with something dark red inside sitting on the larger open area. Those had to be the blood for William. Her hands were shaking as she reached inside, picking up a pair of containers, wondering what had bled for them, and where and how before the unwelcome shivers told her that there was only fear and confusion that way.  
  
"William? Will... I wasn't certain how much, so I brought you two of them. Are they too cold?" She wasn't certain if she wanted the answers even as she asked, a small corner of her mind wondering why Willow had blood in her home, and why her seeking had brought them here when nothing so far made this feel like anyone's home.  
  
"Two's good... for now anyhow. And at the moment I think having it now's better than trying to warm it up." He reached with one hand, attempting to sit up, and his face got even paler and there was a low growl as he settled back on the couch. "Bloody hell that hurts..."  
  
"You've got broken bones! You can't just sit up like that!" She found herself at his side in an instant, on hand resting on his stomach, the other brushing over his forehead. Where were the containers of blood? The small table... "You need to heal some first. Here, let me help you drink this..."  
  
He swallowed the blood, his eyes still golden and resting on Suzie. Finishing, he licked his lips, the movement almost sensual, which was a bit disturbing. "Maybe I do need to heal some before I go trying to be active. Going to nurse me back to health?"  
  
Something fluttered in her middle as she watched his features shift back to the handsome face from earlier, the bruise on his cheekbone already fading. "I think I just might..."  
  
end part 9.  
  
Charlie carried Willow to what had to be the only room in the whole building that felt like it had really ever been lived in. There was a soft bed with a multi colored green, blue and golden quilt and some stuffed animals. The walls showed signs of having held posters, carefully removed but not replaced. A small terrarium sat near a window, and there were shelves full of an odd assortment of books, some clearly bought for pleasure, and others school books, ranging from Algebra to History to Demonology and Herb lore. He settled Willow on the bed, carefully removing her shoes.  
  
A quick trip to the bathroom gave him a washcloth, and he found himself momentarily baffled by the wholly muggle plumbing. Shaking his head, he returned to her room, where he carefully wiped the ashes and dust from her skin. She looked so pale, and a lot more fragile when her intense personality wasn't in effect.  
  
She was pretty, with features that looked almost delicate. Nothing in her appearance hinted at her power. Not only had she been using magic without a wand, but there was that whole curse that put Maleficent to sleep... She had been floating, hair turning into red black shadow over her, blowing in an unfelt wind and her eyes pits of blackness that had given him this unsettling feeling of falling into her...  
  
Groaning slightly, Charlie realized that now, he had to figure out some way to get a very large sleeping dragon back to Romania. It most definitely wouldn't do to leave her there, but... How did you move that many tons of sleeping dragon? It wasn't like he could just crate her up and send her by parcel post.  
  
It was quite easy to decide that he'd rather think about Willow, and how to gently break the news to her that her friend was dead. He couldn't have survived all of those injuries. But how to tell Willow that? He held one of her hands in his, thinking that she looked so fragile to have so much power, to have done so much. He still had no idea how she'd been casting without a wand.  
  
Before long, Charlie fell asleep, ending up sort of curled over Willow, his head resting on her stomach, still carefully holding her hand in his.  
  
He woke up slowly, everything stiff and aching, and this sort of dry feeling almost like a sunburn inside his head that told him he'd done a bit more magic than he should have. He was sort of hunched and slumped, his head resting on something soft and warm... something that moved gently. He blinked as he realized it was Willow's stomach that he had been using as a pillow. She still seemed asleep, although it looked more like a normal sleep now, and less... well, she'd looked bad last night. Maybe he should go down and check on Suzie... see how she was handling things.  
  
The living room was dark, the sort of deep gloom that came from having absolutely no natural light at all. Suzie was curled up in a chair, and William... was still draped over the couch.  
  
"You know you have a black eye, Weasley?" William's calm voice was an utter shock.  
  
He felt himself gaping. Entirely apart from the fact that he hadn't realized, William was talking? "But you... you're chest was... crushed. How could you have survived that?"  
  
William was remaining still on the couch, most likely in an effort to keep the broken bones from hurting. "We left out a few things in our introductions. I'm a vampire, so while I am technically dead, it's not any more dead than I was last week. Just a lot worse shape... ribs are going to take a while to heal... at least a week."  
  
Charlie felt like the ground was spinning, and he carefully settled himself into the other chair, still staring at William. "A vampire... does Willow know? Is she human? You didn't... "  
  
"Willow knows all about me being a vampire." There was an odd smirk there, as if there was a complicated history between Willow and William. "Red's as human as any other magic user is. Just stronger than some, and a lot more stubborn. Nobody ever told her a witch needs a wand, you see, so she does without. Suzie's asleep... last night took a lot out of her."  
  
Part of Charlie was worried, wondering how safe any of them were with a vampire in the house, even if he was wounded. "But she's... You seem in much better shape this morning."  
  
William made a rather rude sounding snort. "I didn't hurt her. She's just exhausted. There's a complicated explanation, but I'm not going to hurt you, or Suzie, and especially not Willow. She's my friend... the only one I've got. And if you break her heart, Weasley, that thing about not hurting you is off. I'll find you, hunt you down to the upper hells, and make you beg for death if you break her heart."  
  
For some bizarre reason, that almost made Charlie feel better. "Right... the upper hells. Umm... any suggestions on how to get a fifty ton sleeping dragon to Romania? Or maybe about breakfast?"  
  
"Breakfast is easy. Moving the dragon... can't box her up, can't call the council and say here's your dragon, take her... can you? Let them worry about the hows? Maybe a levitation and an invisibility... but how to apparate a dragon... oh bloody hell, I think we either end up putting the dragon in a huge box and sending her by boat or see if Willow can come up with something. Let's settle on breakfast... I'll give you directions, since the kitchen has a window and I'm a bit flammable. I got some blood in the fridge for me, but I think you'll want something more solid." William had this sort of smirk again, and he very carefully moved, hissing slightly as he rose to his feet, eyes flickering yellow.  
  
Charlie found himself reminded all over again that William wasn't human. He also found himself both delighted that Willow had blood in the refrigerator and curious as to why it was there. "So... a vampire from the Longbottom family?"  
  
"Yeah. Wasn't that strong of a wizard... better at the books than the spells part of it. I got turned, left home, and dropped the last name. William Longbottom won't do in vampire circles... I became William the Bloody." He was moving carefully, but still seemed to almost stalk across the house to the kitchen, pulling out a white container, a delighted smile on his face. "Red is a great friend..."  
  
The name sounded almost familiar to Charlie, as if he'd heard it somewhere. "I'm going to regret this... but why do I feel like I should recognize that name?"  
  
The vampire looked at him, carefully placing the tub into the microwave, pushing a few buttons to start the muggle machine humming. "William the Bloody... along with Dru, Darla and Angelus. Scourge of Europe... we were infamous. Should have made the be careful- run away lists in the Defense Against Dark Arts Books... At least, if the people writing them were any good we should be in there."  
  
Charlie felt like gaping, or maybe running away out into the sunshine. William the Bloody, of the Scourge of Europe? "Wh.. What happened to the other three?"  
  
William gave a small shrug. "Darla got herself staked, Dru's somewhere in Brazil with a fungus demon, I'm here and stuck on good behavior, and Angelus got himself cursed into a brooding nancy-boy. Calls himself Angel now and runs a detective agency." The microwave dinged, and he pulled out the container, the scent of blood filling the room. "Breakfast is good..."  
  
Somehow, watching the vampire drink his blood, Charlie didn't feel so hungry anymore. "Yeah... breakfast. I think... maybe I'll just go sit down again."  
  
end part 10. 


	5. part 11 the end of Sleeping Dragons

Willow felt like she'd been used as a punching bag. Every muscle and bone ached, and her skin felt almost raw. Her eyes stung, and her head throbbed, certain signs that she'd over exerted herself. She'd tapped something, some powerful magics... powerful, dangerous magics. Part of her wondered where that had come from, had it been the Hellmouth? The power of nature? Another part was simply trying to decide if she was glad to have survived the experience. As much as everything hurt, it was not an easy decision.  
  
A shower didn't exactly make her feel better, but she took one anyhow, feeling as if the dust was grating on her skin like sandpaper. The water drops stung against her skin, and she felt as if the water was pounding mercilessly on her. Clean clothing helped a little, and she mae her very slow way downstairs, hoping that nobody had been killed even as she wondered how she'd got here.  
  
Downstairs, she found Charlie and Suzie eating stacks of pancakes, Suzie's topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Spike had a container of blood out, sipping at it carefully, his expression tautly blank. Willow knew that he was trying to hide the pain, and she could still see the bruises on his chest. Everyone seemed to be getting along well... or at least not fighting at the moment.  
  
"So, how did they take the news?" She directed her question towards Spike even as she took the chair away from the rest of them. The mingled scents of pancakes, strawberries and blood made her stomach twist and heave in an unpleasant fashion.  
  
"They were pretty surprised. Think Weasley over there was debating making a run for it, but he didn't. Guess I am in the books... Makes me feel all threatening again." He had a small smile, one that said he was going to savor the feeling while it lasted.  
  
Charlie looked over at her, his eyes filled with confusion and hinting that he felt rather worse for wear as well. "Willow... why were you out walking with a vampire? He's dangerous."  
  
Spike grinned, pointing a thumb at Charlie. "Listen to him, Red. I'm dangerous. I'm the big bad."  
  
Looking over at Spike, she shook her head. "You're gloating that he's scared of you. Yes, I know that Spike's a vampire, and that he's dangerous. We've got sort of an agreement, so he's not going to be hurting me. Even if he did, he umm... well maybe I shouldn't go there. But, has anything been done about the dragon?" Maybe it wouldn't help her case that she wasn't afraid of Spike if she mentioned that he wouldn't kill her, he'd turn her. She didn't think Charlie would think that was very reassuring.  
  
Suzie answered, her soft voice reminding Willow just a bit of Dru. "Nothing's been done about the dragon. She's very big, and very heavy. They were hoping that you would have an idea."  
  
Willow sighed, feeling like she should have known. "Well... how badly does the preserve want their dragon back?"  
  
Charlie gave a smile. "Badly. I've been given a few papers that say any reasonable request I make has to be cooperated with."  
  
Willow gave a small, weak smile, her head still throbbing. "Okay... we put her into a big crate and have her shipped by boat back to Europe, and have someone in the Magical administration that can be trusted pick her up and arrange for her to be transported to the preserve. Then someone should be able to break the spell, or let a guy dragon help her out of it... and the problem is solved."  
  
Suzie gave a giggle, eyes dancing with amusement. "Are you matchmaking for Maleficent?"  
  
Charlie grinned at the idea as well. "How do we get her onto a boat? The Magical Bureau doesn't handle ocean-shipping."  
  
She waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Not a problem. I just use the computer and change the records of a boat going the right way to include one large box in their manifest, and away she goes. The hard part will be boxing her up and getting her over to the docks while all of us are magically wrung dry."  
  
Spike just laughed, his expression full of amusement. "Not going to be a problem, Red. I'll just go take shameless advantage of the fact that the demon population wants that dragon gone and they'll box her up and have a bloody huge crate on the docks. All you have to do is get the matter of computer records fixed, and it'll be set. That dragon had them scared."  
  
Charlie blinked. "That's... not the type of help I'd even considered. You really think it'll work?"  
  
"That they'll box up the dragon if it'll get her gone for good? Hell yes it'll work." Spike gave a small, dry chuckle as he sipped at his blood. He didn't look very happy. Then, he glanced over at Suzie, and quickly glanced away again, his foot swinging against the chair.  
  
Willow smiled, suddenly understanding. Spike wanted Suzie, wanted to stay with her, to court her... and most likely to shag her, as he would put it. If the dragon had been dealt with, Suzie wouldn't have any reason to stay here. Neither would Charlie... "Well, if you're supposed to make sure that Maleficent gets back, maybe... maybe we should go on the boat with her? Make sure nothing happens or anything. And Suzie needs a new wand, and it's been over a century since Spi... William had one. Maybe I could get a little real advice on my own, since you both seem to be in such good control of yours."  
  
Charlie looked at her, a warm smile on his face. "I think that's a good idea. I'd be happy to help you learn... and if you can spare the time to go... Well, Suzie and I couldn't contain Maleficent on our own."  
  
Spike grinned, his eyes almost glowing with happiness. "I like that plan, besides, Sunnyhell isn't good for the health."  
  
Willow managed not to laugh. "So, we all go to Romania to see Maleficent home? And then... what happens then?"  
  
Charlie walked over, sitting beside her. "Then, I help make sure you have everything you need, and we let Suzie and William try a little romance... and let Maleficent go back to her unquestioned rule o a small corner of the forest. Maybe something like... We all lived happily ever after?"  
  
"Isn't that how fairy tales end?" Spike was clearly amused.  
  
It was all wonderful, and funny, except for the fact that her body still ached. "Well, this has all the trappings of a fairy tale. Magic spells, a dangerous dragon, brave adventures from a far away land, and the chance for true love. Why not try to live happily ever after?"  
  
Since everyone rather liked the idea of happily after, they agreed to try. And Spike had been accurate in his prediction of the reaction of the demons to Maleficent, and she had been boxed and on the docks in no time, Sunnydale Denial preventing the general population from knowing anything over than a series of fires, the police investigating in 'an effort to find the arsonist'. Travel to Romania sounded like the perfect way for her to get over 'her Oz-missage' as Buffy put it, the blonde entirely missing the fact that Charlie seemed to be pulling her out of that all on his own.  
  
So they sailed away, into the future. Escorting a dragon back to her proper home, and hoping for a chance at happiness.  
  
  
  
end Let Sleeping Dragons Lie. 


End file.
